Memoria's Diary
by Lady Memoria Greenleaf
Summary: This is the character Memoria from 'Sora's Ring of Power'. Suffering from amnesia, she must blend in with a tribe of orcs to survive. plz r&r!
1. Entry the First - Lothlorien

Disclaimer: I only own my original characters, nothing from LotR, all that wonderful stuff belongs to the mighty JRRT himself.

Entry the First – Lothlorien

So much has happened; I scarcely know where to begin. I suppose I should begin at the beginning. My name is Memoria Valkyrie; I am an elf with long chestnut hair and glowing amber eyes. I call Lothlorien home. I scarcely know how I came to be here, but I do remember I was once a mortal woman called Melanie. I lived far from here, almost in another world. That place had a magic unseen in Middle Earth, but just as dazzling in its own way. I remember the shadow of death constantly looming over me, but there were many other things that made my existence painful. There was not another being who understood me; I was very much alone. In that respect, I have not changed. 

When I was called Melanie, I studied, as does every mortal. I remember I excelled at Biology, the study of living things. I was deeply involved in the school gardens, and would spend hours there, just listening to the plants. Of course, I could not hear them as I do now, but I felt their spirits nonetheless. Amongst the green leaves I found my only peace, for the other mortal children sensed the difference in me and I was shunned because of it. Men are such fickle creatures, and are often afraid of that which they do not understand or are unaccustomed to. My sorrow became such that I left before the completion of my studies. I had planned to continue them through a magic called "email" if memory serves. However this would never come to pass, for I was called home to Middle Earth soon after I left my school. I know that fate has wisely chosen to bring me here as an elf, for that reflects my personality and behavior in the times previous to this, but the reasons fate has called me back at all are still unclear. 

This brings me to the part of my story where I awoke, wandering by the Silverlode, where the Lady's guards brought me immediately to her. As soon as she laid eyes on me, she knew I was not here by natural means; I had been called by some great power for some great purpose. She spoke to me of many things and at length of the reasons for my summons. As of now, several possibilities stand, the most likely of which is a wish. She and Celeborn also addressed the matter of what I should be called, for I had no name in elven form. He called me Memoria, so that all my memories from the past will find me again, and that I should never forget a happy moment in my life. Galadriel gave me a maiden's name, Valkyrie, after the dwarf's Angel of the Battlefield. She conducts the souls of dwarves who die nobly in battle to heaven. I do not understand why I am to be called after a dwarven angel when I am an elf, and yet I do not dare question the Lady's wisdom. Soon she will allow me to gaze into her famous mirror, and see what I am to see. Perhaps that will bring some answers.

*This is obviously a work in progress, so I'm open to some suggestions. Please review, constructive criticism only*


	2. Entry the Second - Lothlorien

Entry the Second – Lothlorien

The Lady is going west, to someplace called Valinor. Heaven only knows why she's going, but she asked me to go with her. I politely refused, since I was summoned to Middle earth, I'm evidently needed here. She did not attempt to convince me otherwise, as I thought she would. She simply said that I would have another chance when she returned to the woods. A part of me wanted to go with her, but I have not yet learned the reason for my summons, and so I must stay. 

Either way, she leaves for the western sea tomorrow, and she granted me a glance in her mirror. In it I saw many things, none of which make sense. I saw a forest, not Lothlorien, and yet somehow it was more beautiful. I saw a great battle raging around a magnificent palace. The warring armies were both of great multitudes, but both fought well. The numbers of the dead and dying swelled and were virtually equal on both sides. I saw myself, dressed in finest satin, leaving the battlefield without a scratch. It was as if this great carnage somehow paid for my life. Then a ring appeared in the mirror, a beautifully wrought mithril band, gracefully closing in a pronged setting around a marquise-cut black stone. The significance of this ring is great, but I know nothing else about it. 

Now I feel as if I must leave this place. The lady will be gone very soon; tonight is her last night in this forest. But where will I go? Perhaps into the land of men, if there is any race more aware of current events, I am unaware of them. I will need a map, weapons, and provisions. Also some sense of why I'm going away might help. Perhaps some sleep will clear my head of questions and I will think with greater clarity tomorrow. But this intention must not be forgotten. I must leave in the very near future, or I fear I will be here forever, never to fulfill my purpose.


	3. Entry the Third - Somewhere Further Nort...

Entry the Third – Somewhere Further North

I am travelling with a company of men, and we have made camp beside a river called the Aniduin. At last I have found a quiet moment to write! 

I bade farewell to Lothlorien one day after the Lady did. I think she instinctively knew of my plans, for she left a bag of useful things for me. Contained within the bag was a sword, some lembas, a good pair of hiking boots, and an elven cloak. All of these items have come in handy. I took my burden and left the forest in the morning. I traveled alone to just beyond the borders of the now-fading forest, where I stumbled upon the company of men I now travel with. They are good and noble people, a mix of both sexes. I am truly happy not to be a singular female. In return for my help in avoiding the Lady's forest, they have let me travel with them for as long as I wish. 

It is strange to me that they cannot hear the speech of the trees, and yet they both speak of the same thing: hobbits. The trees say these creatures have just destroyed some great and unspeakable evil. The humans have heard likewise and are journeying to someplace called the Shire in search of them. These creatures sound rather endearing, and I should like to see one myself someday. Perhaps I will follow the men until they reach their goal. They have already taken it upon themselves to train me as a warrior. I had not considered my vulnerability in this area. Thankfully, my carelessness will not cost me that dearly. Either way, men are very prone to death, and thus I shall not allow myself to get overly close to any of them. The last thing I need right now is an emotional disruption. I am on a mission, even if I am unsure of the cause, and I need my wits about me at all times.


	4. Entry the Fourth - West Coast of the Riv...

Entry the Fourth - West Coast of the Aniduin  
  
The river runs north, and it is the route the humans have chose to follow. I am told that there is a pas through the mountains leading to a road that goes directly west to the Shire. This journey may well take a long while, but we are well equipped, high spirited, and thankfully forgotten by enemies. We have yet to encounter any hostility, which only raises my suspicion. Perhaps this is something to do with that great evil which the hobbits destroyed. Maybe this force was so great that its loss has driven the evil of the world underground. It is also possible that this is too much to hope for.  
  
I have broken my earlier vow and I have made a friend, Candace. She is half- elven, and so she will have many long years by human reckoning, but age will catch her eventually. I know in my heart that I will someday have to watch her die, and that burden saddens me. For the present, she is a kind soul who has lived a greatly sheltered life. This is her first trek outside the village of Tyre where she was born nearly a century ago. To look upon her, one would perceive her age to be no more than 16 as a human. Her hair is the colour of crushed grapes at harvest time, an unusual shade of greenish blonde. Her eyes are deep and wide, and shine like mica in as many shades as a blooming forest. She could easily pass for a full elf, were it not for petite stature. She is almost opposite to me, with my dark red hair and sunset amber eyes. I stand a full head taller than she.  
  
She says she will break from the company long before we reach the Shire, and I think I will go with her. She plans to head east, to some forest where some kindred of the Lady live. I crave the company of my own kind, for she is the only being of even remote elven heritage I have met outside Lorien. We will remain with the humans until they turn west to the pas, and then we will venture east, into the forest. She seems to know this area well, though she says that she's never been outside her village. Perhaps this isn't the entire truth, but she seems a good and trustworthy friend. I feel as if I've known her for years. 


	5. Entry the Fifth - ???

Entry the Fifth – ???  
  
I am completely uncertain of my whereabouts, but I wish I was somewhere else; anywhere else. Candace and I turned east several days ago. This is the last I remember of her. Five days after we turned east, we made camp in a grove of small trees. On my watch, I remember being grabbed from behind. A filthy hand clamped over my mouth, and another twisted my left arm behind my back. Then a second set of feet approached and I was hit on the head by a sword hilt or some other blunt object. I awoke to find myself in a cage upon a cart, bound hand and foot. At last I beheld my captors. They were humanoid, short, slimy, and there was about ten of them. They spoke in a guttural dialect of the common speech, which I could easily understand.  
  
One of them, who hadn't realized that I was awake, turned to the other, saying "What would Magar want with an elf? If his men find out, it'll be curtains for him."  
  
The other replied "Who knows, who cares? We're not paid to ask questions."  
  
Still another added softly "But we're paid very well nonetheless."  
  
The first one, evidently the leader, spoke again. "The reason we're being paid so handsomely is because we're cruelly being denied our sport! Not only did Magar order her to be 'unspoiled', he ordered her untouched!!" The others began to squabble amongst themselves over whose idea it was to render me unconscious. Whoever it was sounded like they'd be in a lot of trouble when we got to wherever they were taking me.  
  
"Who is Magar?" I finally asked. The leader turned to me and slowly began to laugh. The others joined in hesitantly, then wholeheartedly. The confusion grew in my mind, but I was presently hit on the head again. I awoke again, where I am now. I can see very little by the lamp that has been left. I appear to be in a cave of some sort. I can vaguely make out walls, and I can clearly see bars in front of me. My ankles are bound to one another by a length of chain. My wrists are shackled as well, but the long chain between them runs behind me and through a ring on the wall, thus allowing me more range of motion. I still have no idea who Magar is or what he wants me for. Perhaps tomorrow will bring some answers. 


	6. Entry the Sixth - Magar's Lair

Entry the Sixth – Magar's Lair  
  
Good news, I finally know who Magar is. He is the leader of a rogue band of orcs, former members of Saruman's Uruk-hai. I am more famous than I had realized, and also more capable of pity, for I pity him. You will understand once I explain more fully the events of the past few days.  
  
He entered my cell with two guards. I rose to my feet to face whomever this was. He glared at me harshly, and then motioned to the guards to be gone. They nodded and left. It was only then that I beheld his true disfigurement. His hair was greasy and woven in tight unkempt knots, and drawn harshly away from his sloping forehead. His eyes were beady and deeply sunken into his skull, but they held a spark of something less primitive than his body alone could reveal. The armor he wore was filthy and rusted, but his weapon, a curved scimitar, was flawless. The guards closed the bars with a resounding clang, which seemed to add a note of finality to my doom. Once the guards were gone, he spoke  
  
"I know you are not from this universe." He said "Just the sight of you confirms it." He circled me like a vulture.  
  
"I know not who you are or what it is you want. Neither do I know what you speak of. Therefore tell me what business you and I have and once it has been settled, let me go!" I held my head high; though chained I remained confident. I had no intention of letting this orc bully me. He had no possible way of knowing who I was, or so I thought.  
  
"I am Magar, second in command of this tribe, and I know who you are, Valkyrie!" He practically spat out my name. I gasped at his outburst. How could he possibly know? "Then it is true… Tell me, angel of the dwarves, how did you come to be here?" He leaned into me, pressing his face into my hair. I pulled away.  
  
"Of what consequence is it to you who I am? Am I important to you somehow?" I lowered my shout to a whisper "I must be, for I am an elf and if I was not needed very badly to you, I would have been killed outright."  
  
"That's right, princess. You are quite precious to me. I trust your, um, 'escorts' treated you well?" he said with surprising sincerity.  
  
"I was rendered unconscious on at least two occasions." I replied coldly.  
  
"It was necessary, but certainly regrettable. Your companion escaped the bandits on her own, and I have bargained with the captain to have you handed over to me for my own use. That is why they transported you here, to my lair." Then he gave me a look which made me shiver. "Do not fear, I have elected to save you, for you remind me so of a human woman I loved long ago. You must blend in as an orc in my tribe, at least for the time being. Once we get farther into Mirkwood, I'll arrange for your escape when the time is right. Until then, you must do exactly as I tell you. Are we clear?" His eloquence as a speaker surprised me so that I almost forgot to respond. Finally I nodded. A smile spread over his face. He made no sound as he pressed a spot in the wall which revealed a secret door. He put a gnarled finger to his lips and motioned for me to follow.  
  
The door lead down a dark, smelly tunnel and came up in an abandoned cottage. He told me that I must stay here for now, and to get some rest. Tomorrow he will begin to train me as one of the orcs. Fighting is a useful skill, and one I've been meaning to learn anyway. Just before he left, Magar put his hand on my shoulder and looked at me as if to say 'it'll all be ok'. I'm really confused, I thought all orcs were filthy barbarians. Perhaps there's another angle here. 


	7. Entry the Seventh - The Cottage

Entry the Seventh – The Cottage  
  
My training as an orc warrior has begun. Firstly, Magar wove my hair back and up into something like a wide ponytail. He actually wove it, instead of just knots, so that I can undo it later without cutting all my hair off. I am truly grateful. Second, began my combat training. Magar is a considerate and realistic trainer, if not a kind and caring mentor. He is the complete opposite of what I expected in an orc. I now know how to use a sword and axe. My bow skills are also coming along nicely. The orc bows are so large and clumsy, but they are easy enough to master. I still look too much like an elf, though. I am too graceful, and not strong enough yet to pass for one of them. I think I've shown amazing progress in the last two weeks, and I should be ready in a few more days to join the tribe.  
  
***  
  
continued – Camp, just inside Mirkwood  
  
Well, I fit in, so far. Magar announced my presence yesterday, saying that I'm a relation of his, the sole survivor of a slaughtered tribe. They listened to everything he said, even when he told them I was young and still shaken from seeing the execution of my entire tribe. Some of them looked at me almost sympathetically. I am amazed they even cared, because these orcs are not like Magar at all. I saw one of them chewing dirt out from between their toes with their teeth! These are the most uncouth creatures I've ever seen. At least I've learned a thing or two about how to curse properly. I'm appalled to think about how I now look just like them, thanks to some makeshift makeup that's mostly ashes and mud. I've had to cover my ears, which will certainly give me away, but that's a constant worry.  
  
I've endured their initiation custom. They pit the 'new guy' against one of the stronger members of the tribe. The new one's not obligated to win, it's more of a hazing ritual to test your combat prowess. However, thanks to Magar's training, I beat my opponent, Lucha. I am ever wary that there is no honor among these barbarians, and Lucha did not lose gracefully. However, it was not a fair fight because that is not the way of the orcs. There were innumerable cheap shots from both of us, and I thank my lucky stars that my ears were not uncovered. The rest of the tribe seems to be warming right up to me in their own burly way. After my victory, two orcs called Reb and Girk jokingly tossed me around. Girk said that I was the lightest orc alive, and Reb gave me my nickname, Runt. These two have made it their mission to 'put some meat on my bones'. The tribe will move again tomorrow, and I am glad to be going deeper into the forest. 


	8. Entry the Eighth - Deep in the Forest

Entry the Eighth - Deep in the Forest  
  
The trees surround me, and I recognize where I am! This is the forest from my vision in the Lady's mirror. I must be close to finding out why I am here. Surely the answer lies in this beautiful wood. The tribe is moving at an easy pace; there is no hurry. We often stop in the afternoons to sleep and walk most of the night. Everywhere I go, I sense some unseen joy among the trees. The flowers and bushes ripple with conspiratorial glee and will give me no clue to their cause for excitement. I want so badly to see what has brought the flora such happiness, but to seek the answer would seriously endanger my cover. Lucha stalks me at every turn, but even she must sleep.  
  
The plants here have such stories, and I could stay here forever listening to their tales of elder days. I wish I could have been here to see them. They have told me of the great evil which has been destroyed. Sauron's Ring of Power. The details they give are sketchy at best, but they convey the emotion involved in a way words have only dreamed of. Often they sing me to sleep, for they see what I truly am. My looks do not fool them.  
  
On another front, I am now a skilled warrior. Tiny skirmishes break out among us from time to time, and through these I have become great. I fear my face has become somewhat scarred as well as the rest of me. I must get out of this tribe soon, or I will never pass for an elf again. Magar says we draw nigh to a great river, which runs south to an elven civilization. I will 'drown' there once we reach it, and then I shall be on my own. I will sorely miss him, for beneath the façade lies a kind soul, albeit a tortured one. Reb and Girk also will be missed. They have been great friends, and see me almost as a younger sister. They spoke true wisdom when they said 'even the greatest warrior was once a baby' and that is why they sought to protect me, that I might grow into something unshakeable. I almost trust them with the truth, but it is too risky for them to know. They are as loveable as they are stupid, and they may let it slip by accident. Certainly Magar will tell them after I'm gone? That is the least he can do to ease their grief, and it will be of no consequence to the tribe what I am after my escape, or will it? I must not endanger my cover whilst I am still here. I guess some loves must be forgotten... 


	9. Entry the Ninth - Camp by the South Rive...

Entry the Ninth – Camp by the South River  
  
Once the tribe had fallen asleep and the Sun gone to bed as well, I rose and walked into the forest to listen, as is my custom. Tomorrow, I was to escape, but a part of me wanted to stay. The trees sensed my discontent and tried to console me. A sudden shiver among them announced Magar's arrival, although he moved silently otherwise. In the moonlight he didn't look much like an orc at all. He turned to me.  
  
"Memoria," he said haltingly.  
  
"Yes?" I replied, somewhat startled.  
  
"I- I'm going to miss you." He blurted, his sunken eyes welling up. He sniffed and roughly brushed the drops from his eyes. I was doubly amazed, both at his emotion and at my reciprocation of it.  
  
"I'm going to miss you, too." I said. My own tears nearly overcame me as I reached for him. He pulled me in, close to his heart buried deep within what looks at first glance like a beast. I took comfort in his strong arms around me, and yet I wept. We separated and he gently wiped away my tears, and some of my disguise with them.  
  
"You're so beautiful, underneath all that mud and ashes..." he said. I looked up into his eyes and we got steadily closer until our lips met. The universe shone a little brighter at that moment when some small fragment of the eternal war between our worlds was laid to rest.  
  
"This is not your purpose, Valkyrie." He said, as if reading my mind. "You have a greater quest to complete." My heart plummeted.  
  
"But I love you!" I said.  
  
"You don't know what you're getting into. The life I've chosen is no life I want to drag a lady into." He looked at me lovingly.  
  
"If your life is Hell, that's all the more reason I cannot let you face it alone!" I cried.  
  
"No, Memoria. It must be this way. You must leave tomorrow." He said, the pain visible in his eyes.  
  
"Alright" I relented. He turned to walk away, but then turned back to me. After looking into my eyes for a second, he placed his hands on my neck, cupping my face.  
  
"Spend tonight in the forest with me." I said. Magar nodded in agreement. He pulled me to him and we shared another kiss, deeper and fierier than the first, which soon became the first of many. I threw my arms around him and wished once again in vain that this could all work out. Yet I knew that this was how the dice must fall. I was like a captive bird; I must be set free, but I loved my captor.  
  
I slept well that night, content in the knowledge that no force on earth could take away the joy this night had brought me, even though it was laced with pain. 


	10. Entry the Tenth - Among the Elves

Entry the Tenth – Among the Elves  
  
The dawn came all too soon for me. The orcs crossed the river before midday, and I played my part well. Magar deliberately placed me at the rear of the company, so I could 'slip' and be carried downstream without fear of being rescued. Of course, Reb and Girk could always be counted upon. They swam downstream after me while the others continued marching. They finally caught me a few miles downstream and dragged me ashore.  
  
"Watch it, Runt! We almost lost you there" said Reb. I spat out a mouthful of water. Before I could say anything, I realized my disguise had been washed away. The two orcs looked at me in disbelief.  
  
"Runt? You're an... elf?" Girk finally managed to stammer.  
  
"I am" I replied. "I would have told you, but"  
  
"The others would have killed you" Reb interrupted quietly.  
  
"So now that you know what I am, what are you going to do?" I asked  
  
"Do? We're your buds, no matter what you are." Reb laughed, playfully punching my arm. "We're going to help you, if we can."  
  
"I think you may be able to do that." I said "Return to the tribe, say I drowned, but tell Magar I am safe." I considered for a moment, and then removed my necklace and handed it to Reb "and give him this. Tell him we will always be together in spirit." With that, they left.  
  
I continued to swim downstream until I came to a pool at the base of a waterfall. I came down the falls with a resounding splash. I opened my eyes under the water, only to see another set staring back at me in surprise. I quickly surfaced, and so did the stranger. His blond hair was almost as long as my own, and his eyes were deep blue. Suddenly, I felt ashamed, because I was among my own kind again, but in the garb of an orc, and no doubt filthy and covered with scars.  
  
"Who are you?" the stranger finally spoke.  
  
"My name is Memoria Valkyrie" I replied.  
  
"Forgive me, miss. You are the most beautiful elf I have ever laid eyes on." He said shyly.  
  
I laughed out loud "You have either never seen a female elf before or you are blind. I am..." I looked down at myself, only to see a fine silk dress where my rusted armour and orcish clothing had once been. My scars were nowhere to be found.  
  
"Are you alone?" he asked  
  
"I am, and lost. I'm afraid." I admitted  
  
"Then let me take you to see Blaize, son of Thrandiul. He is the lord of the elves in this forest. At least you may find food and shelter in his halls. My only fear is that we are over a day's journey from there."  
  
"I will travel with you, and all I will ask of you is your name." I replied  
  
"You may call me Narwain" he replied hesitantly.  
  
Narwain brought me out of the forest and into the most beautiful royal dwelling I have ever seen. The trees gradually gave way to a gate, well hidden for its size. It opened at Narwain's utterance of a password and revealed a hall lined with pillars refracting thousands of delicate green hues. Their ornate carved accents gave an air of natural quiet to the place. Everywhere I looked, servants ran this way and that, all of them of the same calm, naturally graceful beauty. I stood agape at the wonder which surrounded me. Presently I was reunited with reality by a familiar voice which I thought I would never hear again.  
  
"Memoria!! You arrive at last!" It was Candace, wearing a queen's mithril crown, set with a myriad of twinkling purple stones. At her approach, Narwain turned to me.  
  
"Pardon me, Memoria. I must attend to my duties." he said quietly before walking away. Candace had grown since our parting, and now stood slightly taller than myself. She explained that she was a full elf, but often traveled under disguising enchantments to protect herself. She showed me to a generic room where I could stay temporarily, while I decided if I would make this my home. As if I even needed to think about it. This is where I belong, there's no doubt in my mind. 


	11. Entry the Eleventh - Mirkwood Palace

Entry the Eleventh – Mirkwood Palace  
  
I awoke this morning to find Candace by my bedside. We had re-aquatinted ourselves with each other over the past few weeks, but she had never been this familiar towards me.  
  
"Candace…" I began  
  
"Have you reached a decision?" she asked  
  
"I have. This is home, and it has been since the day I arrived." I replied confidently. Candace smiled warmly.  
  
"Then I want you to look at every single room in this palace, and return to me in a few days when you have come upon one you feel immediately at home in." She said. "As a friend of the Queen, you may come and go at your leisure… I really want you to be happy here with me. It has been many a long year since I have had company."  
  
I rose, dressed, and I began to walk. I came upon many rooms, as diverse in their semblance as they were numerous, but I found none which felt like home.  
  
At last, I came upon the perfect room. At first glance, I knew I was home! A heavy oak door opened to reveal a modest sized chamber patterned in shades of green. A dark mahogany dresser and nightstand provided a beautiful contrast. Double glass doors opened out onto a keyhole shaped balcony with wrought iron railings and a simply breathtaking view of the forest beyond. Inside, the four-post bed had a lush canopy and covers embroidered with an enchantingly simple ivy leaf pattern. I flopped down onto the bed and cried out in surprise. I was laying upon what felt like a giant bead of rain. I got up, looked down at my feet and smiled down upon the oak floor. I had to tell Candace!  
  
I ran down the hallway towards the throne room, and I stopped at the door, unsure if I should knock or not. At that moment, another elf approached. He looked like a pampered palace brat, covered in the finest clothes and looking down his nose upon everyone. Nevertheless, his presence was intimidating to me, and I found myself shrinking against the door.  
  
"What do you want?" he asked huffily  
  
"To talk to Candace, if she's not busy." I replied, keeping my neck straight and my tone polite  
  
"She has no business with the commoners." He said. My eyes flashed with anger at his arrogance.  
  
"I am no commoner, Legolas! I am her majesty's friend, and I have information which she requested I bring to her personally." Amazingly, I kept from shouting.  
  
"Her majesty does not befriend those who fraternize with orcs. You may be able to fool the others, but I can see you for who and what you truly are!" His words stung like a caustic acid splashed upon my skin, eating its way down to my very soul. How could he possibly know? I felt a flood of warm tears well up in my eyes. I turned and ran, not knowing where I should go.  
  
I don't know just how long I fled, but eventually I found myself in a garden. It was beautiful as everything else here, and it made me feel somewhat better. Despite what the prince had said, the trees and vines cared for me. I could almost sense the flowers smiling at me, as if they knew some pleasant secret which I did not. Unable to take their word for it, I couldn't smile back. I slumped down beside a flowering arch of roses, letting out a long unhappy sigh. I listened to the chirping of the birds and the gentle plinking of water from the fountain behind me.  
  
Presently, the sound of approaching footsteps drew me out of my trance. It was Narwain. My mind relaxed and my heart was glad to see a friendly face. He drew nearer and I hurriedly wiped the tears from my face, but it was too late: he saw them.  
  
"Memoria, what's the matter?" He asked, surprised. Then I told him what the prince had said.  
  
"Nevermind that pompous numskull. He knows nothing but luxury and blind obedience, and resents anything else." He replied, with a laugh. Then he looked at me again, and his expression grew serious.  
  
"You can trust me, Memoria." He whispered. I knew his words to be true. He was the only one besides the Queen who had reached out to me here. I knew I was impatient by elven standards, but how long would it take for them to notice me?  
  
"Do you know what I was before you found me?" I asked quietly  
  
"I know not, nor do I care what you were, for I know what you are, and you are beautiful both inside and out."  
  
"You wouldn't say that if you knew" I felt my tears begin again and I knew it was time to tell him the whole story, start to finish. He listened silently, as I poured out my heart to him. I told him my memory began almost a year ago in Lothlorien, how the Lady and Lord of the woods gave me my name. I told him about how I met Candace, of our separation, and about the orcs. I kept secret that final night I spent in the woods with Magar, but my silence could not stop my thoughts, or my tears. I told about my escape, and when I had finished all I had to say, he simply looked back at me with those soft blue eyes. Presently, he smiled.  
  
"What?" I asked defensively.  
  
"There. Was that so terrible?" He asked, still smiling at me. My tension dissolved in a laugh. His face remained unchanged in its quiet, calm, knowing smile.  
  
"Now, you were looking for Candace?" he asked.  
  
"Yes." I replied.  
  
"Well, then let's go find her." 


	12. Entry the Twelfth - My Room

Entry the Twelfth – My Room  
  
Here I sit, in the green room I loved so much, but even now it is not enough to comfort me. Grievous news has come to me this day. My first love in this universe, my former captor, my savior, is dead. Narwain came to my room early this morning. He said there was a dying orc in the dungeon asking for me by name. I would hear no more before I ran to the dungeons beneath the palace. Sure enough, there he lay behind the bars, with part of a blade still lodged in his chest. His eyes widened and he smiled through the pain when he saw me approach. He had the look of someone who had just received his final wish.  
  
"Memoria… I thought I'd never see you again." He said haltingly.  
  
"Magar…" I bent down and touched his face. "Who did this to you?"  
  
"Lucha, but that doesn't matter. It's an infected wound, beyond all help now. The elves captured me a few days ago, and I thought it was worth a try to at least ask for you." He answered, his voice fading.  
  
"You should have asked for medicine instead! The elves here are great healers, they might have been able to save you" I felt the tears beginning.  
  
"Elven medicine doesn't work on orcs…" he coughed "All I wanted was to see you one last time before I leave this world. Look at you, prettier as I always knew. I'm sorry if I caused you any trouble by saying I knew you."  
  
"Shh… Don't worry. I'll be safe and cared for here. I'm friends with the Queen" I said, between sobs.  
  
"Memoria," His voice had faded to a whisper "no matter what happens, promise me you'll remember what I say. I want you to be happy, you belong here, and please… please try to remember me as something more than just an orc. Don't ever forget… I love you." With a final sigh, he expired. My mouth opened to cry, but no sound came out. Instead, I just threw my arms around him and wept.  
  
*Memoria stopped keeping her diary here, but I will continue to tell the story. I know it because I was there.* 


End file.
